Five Great Champagne Alternatives
Champagne may claim the spotlight at this time of the year, but there is a myriad of great sparkling wines made all over the world. If your New Year’s Resolution includes trying new things, start 2020 off with some sparkling wines from off the beaten path. We’ve collected five of our favorites from all corners of the globe that we think you’ll really enjoy! Cheers!
2017 Antech "Cuvée Eugenie" Cremant de Limoux
For some bubbles from the original birthplace of sparkling wine, head to the Limoux region in southern France. Some of our all-time favorite sparklers in the store are from Antech, who has been growing grapes and making wine in this region for six generations. The high altitude vineyards and decades of experience come together in wines that easily rival Champagnes to the north. The Cremant de Limoux is a blend of Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and the native Mauzac grape. Low dosage and extensive aging give this sparkling wine its expressive character and complex palate, delivering beautiful exotic fruits and fragrant acacia aromas, followed by a lovely, balanced palate filled with grapefruit and citrus. This is one of the best sparkling wines you can find for the price, and we also have the 2016s in magnums - for a little extra bottle age, and a lot more fun!
2015 Can Mayol Loxarel "Reserva Familiar" Brut Nature Classic Penedes
Cava can offer killer deals compared to their French neighbors and can be absolutely delicious. The Reserva Familiar from Loxarel offers such an experience. The bottle, with its aged paper label and wax seal has an old school look, but inside is an incredibly impressive bottle of bubbly. Can Mayol (under the name “Loxarel”) is owned by the Mitjan family, who is firmly dedicated to organic and biodynamic farming. The wine is made primarily from the local varietal Xarel-lo, which is grown in the chalky, high-altitude vineyards in Penedes region of Spain. Made in the Brut nature style, there is no dosage added and it spends over six year on the lees. The result is a beautiful yeasty nose followed by a dry, cleansing palate with crisp citrus fruits, green apples and stony-mineral finish.
2018 Silvano Follador Prosecco Superiore Brut Nature
Everyone loves a good Prosecco. Light, bubbly, and crisp, these are perfect party sparklers and can be immensely fun. The Silvano Follador is one of our best-selling Proseccos, and a wine that makes Guido absolutely giddy. This small brother-and-sister winery is making one of Italy’s best sparkling wines and we’re lucky to have it in our store. Made from a selection of indigenous grapes including Glera (formerly Prosecco), Verdiso, Perera and Bianchetta, you won’t find many Proseccos of this caliber. It comes in a relatively drier style, with a palate of melon, crisp green apple and subtle floral notes.
No.1 Family Estate "Assemble" Marlborough
Although we don’t tend to think of New Zealand for its sparkling wines, there are some remarkable bottles coming out of this country. The “Assemblé” Brut from No. 1 Family Estate is one of those, showing refined elegance and taut, vibrant flavors of green apple and citrus. Daniel Le Brun (of the Le Brun family in Champagne) moved from France to New Zealand in the mid-70s. This sparkling wine reflects generational, Old World experience with this New World terroir. The cool climate of New Zealand’s Marlborough region is perfect for growing the traditional Champagne grapes, and the “Assemblé” refers to that perfect trinity of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, all brought together with a minimum of 18 months on the lees in the classic Méthode Traditionelle style.
2012 Charles Heintz Estate "Melissa Danielle" Sonoma Coast Blanc de Blancs Brut Sparkling Wine
There are a lot of great, accessible and widely-known sparkling wines coming out of California, but for something unique and special try the “Melissa Danielle” Blanc de Blanc from Charles Heintz Estate. Made by Winemaker Michael Cruse (of Ultramarin), this is made from 100% estate-grown Chardonnay that was aged sur lie in neutral French barrels for a year, then aged an additional five years en tirage (on its yeasts) in the bottle. The resulting wine has well-developed, complex flavors of stone fruit, apple and pear with subtle notes of honey, brioche and hints of orange marmalade. It’s creamy texture, finely beaded bubbles and crisp, persistent finish make it the perfect bubbles for New Year frivolity.
-Megan Greene